Barefoot and Lost (5 page)

   
‘
That’s horrible
, is he always so horrible?’

 
   ‘
He’s not that bad really
;
he sticks up for us and won’t let the other older boys bully us
.’

   
‘
He took my money; do you think he will give it back
?’

    
‘
I don’t know
,
maybe when he knows you better he might
.’

    
At supper time I sit next to Toby at the end of one of the two long tables for boys
. T
here are two other tables on the o
ther side of the room for girls. T
he two boys across the table whisper hello.

    
”Hello
,
I’m Phil
.
”
Toby digs me in the ribs.

     “Shush
,
we’re not allowed to talk
.
”
A man I haven’t seen before
walking
with a limp like Mr. Milligan,
steps up onto a small stage at the end of the room
. A
fter bowing his head he recites a prayer
,
everybody is reciting it with him
.
I don’t know what to say but I’m moving my mouth as though I do.

     Supper is
very disappointing, a bowl of very watery soup, two slices of bread, jam, and a
cup of tea
.
I am still hungry
,
it is the first food I have had since breakfast with
June
,
and I
hope it is not always like this.  

    
‘
Toby
; the
man
who
said
the prayer who is he?’

    
‘
Grace
,
it was
Grace
.’

    
‘
What
,
Mr. Grace
?’

    
‘
No stupid
,
he was saying
Grace
, that’s
Mr.
Flynn
,
he’s a House Father.

    
‘Has he got a bad leg?’

     ‘
Yeah
,
he was wounded in the First World War, be careful of him he can be a bit strange
,
he has favourite boys
.’

   
‘What do you mean?’

  
‘
Nothing
,
best not to be one of his favourite boys
, that
’s all
.’

   
‘Are you one?’

    ‘
No
,
when I first came he wanted me to be one
.
I asked Lion about it because I didn’t know what it meant, Lion said leave it to me and
Flynn
hasn’t spoken to me since
,
unless it’s when he catches me doing
something I shouldn’t be doing.’

     ‘
Phillip
” I turn around to see Mam looking at me
, ‘
Come with me
Phillip
I’m taking you
to meet
Reverend
Harrison
, he will
want to ask you some questions

    
As we enter a very large room a huge man steps out from behind a massive wooden desk.
He has
a bald head
,
below it is a sad looking face
,
his moustache, and bushy eyebrows
make
him
to
look like he
is peering through a hedge. H
e towers over me
; I have to hol
d my
head back to look at his face. ‘
Come in Mam
,
so this is
Master
Snell
, what is your Christian name?’
I’m not sure what he means and hesitate
.

  
 
‘
It’s
Phillip
, Reverend’

    
‘
Can
the boy not answer for himself?’

    
‘
It’s
Phillip
,
Sir
.’

    
‘
That is better
,
now
,
speak up when I speak to you
,
and call me Reverend
.’
    

    
‘
Yes Reverend
.’

    
‘Louder boy’

    
‘
YES REVEREND
.’

     ‘
Do not shout at me boy, stand up straight
,
be assertive and precise in you
r
speech then you will not be misunderstood.
’
He turns around and lifts a folder off the desk
. ‘
Now
,
let me
see if we have your details correct.
Your parents are both deceased and your guardian
your Grandmother is also deceased. Y
our only living relative is your mother’s brother and he is unable to care for you. You were eleven on the twenty second
of July,
last Sunday
is that correct.

     ‘
Yes Reverend
, if deceased means dead.’
A hint of a smile tugs at the corner of his eyes.

     ‘
Of course it does
Phillip
, it seems you are lacking in educati
on but we will remedy that here. P
ay attention
,
do as you are told, ask if you do not understand, the staff here are exemplary
,
they are now your parents
,
your guardians
,
give them respect and they will respect you
, any questions?’

    
‘
No reverend
, I don’t think so’

     ‘
Mam will give you answers to anything you may think of later, now go about your business
,
the next time I speak to yo
u will be to praise you; woe be
tide
s
you if it is to discipline you; now
,
on your way
.’

    
‘
Mam, when will I go to school
?’

     ‘
Not until after the summer holiday, the schools broke up on Friday
,
when they go back in six weeks one of the house staff will take you to the secondary
school and get you registered. I
n the meantime
,
familiarize yourself with the way we do things here, make friends
,
keep you
r
nose clean and behave
,
it is not very pleasant if you get on the wrong side of Reverend Harrison
.’

    
‘
I’ll try to do my best
.’

    
‘
I’m sure you will
,
the boys in your dormitory are good boy
s
,
follow their example and you won’t
go
wrong, let
Lionel
be your mentor he is a very fair and honest young man
.’

     ‘
Yes Mam.
’
He’s not that honest he’s stolen my money, should I tell her  no, better not, I don’t really want to die in my sleep, I wonder if he really means that.

     ‘
Now we will go to the wardrobe and fit you out with some cloth
es what size shoes do you wear?’

    
‘T
welve
or thirteen
I think
, I had some two’s, but Gran had to put some soles in them.’

     ‘
You need a full set of clothes
,
what you have brought is not adequate
.’

    
With my arms loaded with two of everything, pants, vests, socks, trousers, jumpers and a pair of gym shoes
,
struggling to se
e over the pile of clothes, I mak
e my way back to my room.

    
Which way do I go
?
Lion said we mustn’t us
e
the front stairs but I don’t know where the back ones ar
e. R
isk
ing
the front stairs
,
I manage
to get to the top but I’m not sure which
way to go. R
ight
,
that’s right or is it left
? N
o it’s right
,
halfway along the corridor
,
looking for my room
,
a voice bellows
, ‘
Boy
,
where do you think you are going
?’
I turn around to see
Flynn
bearing down on me
, ‘
Where
are you going boy who are you?’

      
‘
Sorry
Mr.
Flynn
I’m new here and I’m lost
,
I can’t find my dormitory
.’

       ‘
I see
,
you seem to have an advantage over me you know who I am but I have no idea who you are
.’

       ‘
I’m
Phillip
Snell
,
I only got here this afternoon I have just been to see the Reverend
.’

        ‘
I’m very pleased to meet you
Phillip
, this is the girl’s corridor
,
and you’re
not a girl are you?’

       
‘
No
Mr.
Flynn
.’

        ‘
I’m pleased to hear that
,
now let
me help you take
your bundle to your room and get you settled in properly
.’
Flynn
, takes a few items from the top of my
pile
, with his hand on my shoulder he, guides me
across the landing
in the direction of
the correct corridor
.

     ‘
Where have you come from, were you transferred here or are you recently orphaned
?’

     ‘
I think I’m an orphan
,
my mum
,
my dad
,
and my Gran are dead and my u
ncle
Ron
,
who is
wounded in
Holland
can’t, so
there is nobody to look after me
.’

     ‘
Now that is where you are wrong
Phillip
,
I am here to help and guide you though this torrid time
. W
henever you are lonely and feel you want to cry,
and
believe me you will
,
it is perfectly natural to feel like that, it is then you will need someone to talk to
.
I am here
for
you
,
if you
need to come to my room it is the one across the landing beside the bat
hroom’

     I recognise my dormitory and try to push the door open with my bum. ‘A
h
,
is
this
your room
,
I see you are sharing with
Lionel
, never mind
,
remember whenever you feel lonely
,
come to my room ok
ay?’
W
ith that he places the clothes on the floor by the door
,
hurrying back
the way we ca
me.